By BILL SPARKS
YMCA Youth Sports Coordinator
TRAVERSE CITY - The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA is gearing up for its 2010 spring soccer season. The season begins on Saturday, April 24 and runs through Saturday, June 5. The league is open to all kids in grades K-12. All of the divisions are co-ed and all games are played on local fields.
Registration has already begun and teams are forming. The registration deadline is Friday, March 26. The fee to register is $20 for Y members and $50 for non-members. You can stop by the YMCA at your convenience to register your son or daughter at any time.
Additionally, a soccer registration night at the Y Main Facility will be held on Tuesday, March 23 at 6 p.m. The main facility is located at 3000 Racquet Club Dr., just south of Airport Road in Traverse City. I will be there to answer any questions regarding the soccer program. We will also be serving pizza and pop for those attending registration night.
Divisions are determined by grade as follows: kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third and fourth grade, fifth and sixth grade, seventh and eighth grade, and the senior-high division (grades 9-12).
Coaches may register all of their players as a team, or players may register individually. The Y will try to place those kids registering individually on teams with other kids from the same school, or from schools from their area. Players may request whom they would like as their teammates when they register as well.
Y Soccer has become a tradition in the Grand Traverse area. It is a sure sign of spring! And it is very rewarding to see all of the kids learning the fundamentals of the sport while having fun playing the game of soccer.
Thousands of kids have played soccer through the YMCA over the years. Carley Buning, a sophomore at Traverse City West High-School, shares her Y Soccer experiences.
“Kinderkickers was my first experience with YMCA soccer,” said Buning. “I knew I loved soccer, from the very first practice. The YMCA was a great start for me in my soccer career and it gave me a good foundation for the basic skills and rules for the best sport of all time.
“I have played soccer through the YMCA each season for 12 years now and continue to play in the fall with the YMCA, while playing in the spring for the TC West Titan girls soccer program. I have hopes to play in college too,” she added.
The league runs over a seven-week period, with each team playing eight games. YMCA games are played mostly on Saturday mornings and early afternoons, with some games played on Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the season.
All games from the third and fourth-grade division on up are officiated.
Josh Roman, a sixth grader at Traverse City West Middle School who has played Y soccer for several seasons said, “I liked how the referees were fair, and if you had a penalty called on you they explained what you did wrong.”
Y soccer is fun for the entire family. Parents and family members enjoy spending time with their kids and watching them have fun playing the game. And the majority of our coaches are dads, moms, and even big brothers or sisters. Rich Roman has coached the team his two sons play on for several seasons now.
“The YMCA soccer program is a place that is great for kids who enjoy playing soccer without the big pressure to win,” commented Roman. “It has something for all skill level players and the cost factor is very helpful in these hard times. It is a great program for recreational soccer.”
All that players need for uniforms are red T-shirts for home games and yellow T-shirts for away games. Official uniforms are available at Play It Again Sports on South Airport Road for a cost of $5 each.
The Y promotes sportsmanship, not just in our soccer leagues, but also in all of our sports programs. The players enjoy competing in the games, but our number one goal is fun and fitness for all participants.
If you would like more information about YMCA spring soccer, please contact myself (Bill Sparks) or Barb Beckett at 231-933-9622, or visit our Web site at Click here.
